


Dream a little dream of me.

by Loopstagirl



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-02
Updated: 2014-07-02
Packaged: 2018-02-07 04:57:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1885911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loopstagirl/pseuds/Loopstagirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur wasn't sure how much longer he could keep going for. And then he stumbled into the clearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dream a little dream of me.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.
> 
> Based on a picture prompt for Camelot Land.

For the first time in hours, Arthur had finally left behind the sound of hooves. The sun was beginning to set over the forest. He knew that it would still bathe the edges in a golden light, but the trees were forcing dusk to descend quicker. Arthur knew he needed to find light again, or a place to stop.

But he wasn’t ready to stop, not when he had only just lost his pursuers.

For weeks now he had been on the run from his own kingdom. His own father had turned against him, driven by the whisperings of the sorceress at his side. Arthur felt his anger surge through him when he thought of the way Nimueh had seduced him and then corrupted his mind. Arthur had always thought he would be able to break through to the man he called father, but when Uther had ordered him for him to be arrested, Arthur knew he had no choice.

He couldn’t help the man if he was in the dungeons. No doubt Nimueh realised Arthur wasn’t falling prey to her charms. The fact that he had outright refused her advances (sickening that she shared his father’s bed and had dared to think she could approach him with the same thing in mind) had been a catalyst. He had seen the look on her face. She hadn’t expected him to refuse, meaning Arthur was sure whatever she had done to his father wasn’t working on him.

But the next day had found him being shaken awake by a pale Leon and being told to run if he wanted to live.

Arthur had done so.

He was an accomplished hunter and he knew how to stay low in a forest. He had survived for weeks now, only had grown careless and ventured too close to home. The patrol had spotted him immediately. In a way, Arthur knew he should be proud. He was the one to have trained the men, after all. But they had pursued him for most of the day now and he was hungry and exhausted, stumbling through a darkening forest with nowhere to bed down for the night in safety.

He knew they still had a shred of loyalty to him, though. Otherwise they wouldn’t have given up the hunt, they wouldn’t have dared.

Not paying attention to where he was going, Arthur didn’t notice the root until it had entwined with his foot and jerked him off balance. Already fatigued, Arthur just let himself fall. He didn’t have the energy to continue.

But as he lay there, he felt a warmth spread over him. Someone was close by, of that he was sure. Even lifting his head was almost too much effort, but Arthur forced himself to do so. Instantly, he caught sight of movement behind a tree as someone clearly ducked out of view. With a groan, Arthur forced himself to his knees.

“I mean you no harm,” he called, surprising himself with how hoarse his voice was. Weeks of being on his own were taking their toll. But there was only a rustle as whoever it was began to move away. Realising how much he was craving the contact of another person who didn’t want to throw him in the cells, Arthur forced his wearied body to rise. Awkwardly, he stumbled after the figure.

It hadn’t moved far away, Arthur caught a glimpse of fabric before it disappeared behind another tree. Arthur sped up, eventually breaking into a run. He didn’t know this part of the forest well and he had no intention of losing his only chance of getting out. Whoever this was could help him.

But thoughts of the person were driven from his mind when Arthur suddenly found himself bursting back into sunlight. He knew he was still in the heart of the forest, but the trees had parted enough to let the late evening sun stream into a small clearing. A river gurgled and laughed as it trickled over rocks by his feet. Arthur looked further along it to see it was wide and strong, but the current wasn’t too powerful. Dropping to his knees, he was scooping handfuls of water into his mouth before he could stop himself, gulping it down greedily. He hadn’t realised how thirsty he had been until he had the chance to quench it.

Washing his face, Arthur eventually rolled onto his back and examined the clearing. There were trees here, casting leafy shadows on the ground from where the sunlight was cutting through their branches. For the first time in weeks, he felt at peace. It was impossible to not; the setting was serenity at its best. Arthur felt his eyes flickering shut for a moment, letting the evening sun warm him in a way that was somehow better than a hot bath.

But as he thought about the warmth, Arthur remembered how he had been feeling that _before_ he got to the clearing. Someone had led him here.

The idea gave him a burst of energy and he sat up, quickly. His movements were so abrupt that the head didn’t have a chance to disappear this time and Arthur smiled, holding out a hand without knowing why.

“Please don’t go,” he called, his voice stronger now he had quenched his thirst. “I mean you no harm. Who are you?”

Slowly, a person emerged. It was a boy, no, a man. A few years younger than Arthur perhaps, but no more. A thick mop of black hair framed startling cheekbones and glittering blue eyes. Arthur felt his smile widen.

 _“Merlin_ ,” the voice seemed to echo in his mind and the man smiled at him even though he never moved his lips.

“I’m-,”

“ _I know who you are, Prince Arthur.”_ This strange being moved until he was crouched next to Arthur. The prince knew he should be cautious. This man was clearly magical, and powerful as well. Arthur had been taught how to train his mind against being penetrated and he knew he was good at it. In fact, he was convinced that was what was stopping Nimueh from controlling him. But his defences may as well not have existed for the ease this man was entering his thoughts. Arthur found he didn’t mind though, there was something reassuring about his presence.

“What are you?” Arthur knew it was a stupid and quite frankly rude question, but it was as if his mind had stopped working. His worries, fears and concerns had just melted away from him and he felt content and sleepy. The man chuckled and Arthur felt as if it vibrated through the ground and up through his body.

He found himself blushing at realising his body responded in interest.

_“I am Emrys.”_

“Do you work with Nimueh?”

“ _I work with no one…”_ The man leaned forward, taking Arthur’s hand and kissing his palm. He began trailing the kisses around his wrist and Arthur gasped. Arousal, warmth and peace flooded through his body and he knew it was the man stripping away his concerns. Arthur didn’t want the sensations to ever end. The man glanced at him coyly, almost as if he knew what Arthur was thinking.

“ _I can make you feel so much more. I can make you feel the essence of magic.”_

“Yes,” Arthur murmured, not feeling as if he was in control. He almost felt drunk, it was that same giddy sensation. He would have been wary of the magic if he didn’t feel so safe. He wanted this. And he knew, somehow, the man meant him no harm.

Merlin smiled again and Arthur sucked in a sharp breath at feeling the rough bark that formed a makeshift path against his back. Merlin’s eyes seemed to swirl into pools of liquid gold, and the sensation changed to grass. It was only when Arthur relaxed back into it he suddenly realised they were both naked. Merlin’s hand was stroking up his thigh and Arthur knew there was no denying how much he wanted this. His body was telling Merlin that of its own accord.

“Yes,” Arthur murmured again, finding that his legs were falling open as he stared at Merlin. He was the Crown Prince of Camelot, he didn’t submit. But this man was magic and Arthur draped a hand over the man’s pale back – the skin flawless to touch – as Merlin positioned himself between his legs.

The man kissed every inch of him first until Arthur was practically begging. He was already beginning to understand what he meant about feeling the magic, but all he could truly focus on was that he wanted to know the full feeling, _now._

“Yes,” his voice was louder this time, asking Merlin for more. The man simply smiled that coy smile and continued taking his time exploring Arthur’s body.

After much teasing, however, Merlin finally pressed into him. Arthur groaned, feeling magic spike through every fibre of his being. His blood sang, his nerves leapt and his legs somehow curled themselves around Merlin’s waist without him knowing about it as the man slowly rocked into him.

Arthur was a warrior, used to doing things at a fast and harsh pace. But the speed Merlin made love to him was so slow and gentle that Arthur was almost crying at the sensations, his free hand gripping great tufts of grass as he tried to stop himself from coming too soon while his other dragged his nails down Merlin’s back. He wanted it to last forever if he could.

But it was over too quick. Arthur felt his eyes shut and his back arch as he shuddered to completion. He relaxed, crashing back down…

… onto soft sheets. His eyes flew open and he gasped as he stared at the canopy above his bed. There was something damp and cool across his forehead and Arthur was aware that he was being watched. He let his eyes roam the room and saw Merlin sitting on the edge of the bed, one hand on the cloth he was holding on the prince’s head.

“Gaius! Gaius, he’s awake!”

“Don’t shout, Merlin.” Arthur smiled as he heard the physician scold his ward. Then he stopped. He hadn’t known Merlin in the forest. But here he did; the man was his servant and his lover, for crying out loud. Arthur had known about his magic for some time, vowing to keep it a secret from his father.

His father!

“The king…” Arthur managed to rasp, trying to sit up but finding that his body had no strength. Startled, he fell back against the pillows and looked at Gaius with fearful eyes.

“What’s wrong with me? Nimueh…”

“Cast a strong spell on you, Sire.” Gaius shifted Merlin over until he could look Arthur in the eye. He gently explained how the prince had been in a feverish state of delirium for the best part of a fortnight after he had been hit with a powerful spell that Merlin hadn’t seen coming. Gaius could clearly see by the look on Arthur’s face that he had no memory of this. The old man backed away, telling him to get some rest and it would all come back to him.

Before Merlin could follow him, however, Arthur took hold of the man’s wrist. Merlin smiled and waited until the door was shut before pressing a lingering kiss to Arthur’s forehead.

“I was so worried. I only just had time to get any sort of shield up, but it brushed through it. Gaius said it would have killed you if the protection hadn’t been there but I let you down, Arthur, I’m so sorry…”

“You were there.”

“Excuse me?”

Arthur started to explain precisely where he had been in his dream. If it was a dream, that was, for his body did feel like he had spent all that time on the run through the forest. Merlin interrupted him before Arthur could mention how he had entered the dream.

“It was almost real. Your mind thought it was real so your body has reacted accordingly. It’s like we’ve been watching you disappear in front of our eyes and there was nothing I could do.”

“You did, though. Didn’t you?” Arthur knew Merlin well enough to know by the way the man glanced away he knew precisely what he was talking about. “You knew I couldn’t keep running that way so you altered what I was seeing, didn’t you?”

“She’s not the only one with powerful magic,” Merlin muttered, a little defensively as he ran a hand through his hair. “Gaius didn’t want me to do it, we had no idea what it would do to you. But I couldn’t lose you, Arthur, I just couldn’t…”

“Did you see it as well?” Arthur asked, finding that his mouth was going dry with anticipation. He didn’t know what he wanted the answer to be, but he had never felt so at peace with the world as he had by that river with Merlin making love to him. Merlin’s expression morphed into a coy smile – one that was suddenly so familiar – and Arthur had his answer.

His servant stood, leaning over to whisper in his ear.

“When you’re better, we’ll go for a hunt. Maybe find a nice clearing, with a river and the sun shining through the trees…”

Before Arthur could react any more than just letting his eyes go wild, Merlin had kissed him gently and left, muttering something about the king no doubt being on his way to see his son. Merlin’s magic wasn’t the only thing secret and Arthur knew his father couldn’t find out about them. His heart longed to go with Merlin.

Somehow, that image of the clearing was going to give him the strength to fight off the rest of his fever. For whatever it took, he was going to make sure they found it again.


End file.
